Man accused in bank robbery told family he had ‘something to take care of at the bank’

Bank robbery suspect arrested in S. Carolina

A 24-year-old man accused of robbing the Whitney Bank on Coursey Boulevard on Friday was arrested in South Carolina on Wednesday morning, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Michael Rossi was arrested after deputies linked him to a hit-and-run that occurred near the bank just before the robbery occurred.

Rossi was taken into custody in Union County, South Carolina, and is being held on an armed robbery warrant issued by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.

Deputies matched Rossi’s photo and car description to the suspect and car seen in the bank’s surveillance video, Hicks said.

The deputies found Rossi’s family members living in East Baton Rouge Parish, who identified him and said he had been living with them but had left work early on the day of the robbery, Hicks said.

Rossi told family members that he had something to take care of at the bank that day, Hicks added.

They later discovered that Rossi’s phone was turned off when they tried to call, and that a gun and some of his belongings were missing.

Man critical after shooting on W. Johnson

Baton Rouge police are investigating a shooting on West Johnson Street late Tuesday that left one man with life-threatening injuries.

Baton Rouge Police Capt. Ronald Norman said Second District officers responded to 226 W. Johnson St. about 11:48 p.m. and found a 36-year-old man shot twice in the upper body.

The victim was taken to a hospital where he remains in critical condition, Cpl. Don Coppola Jr., a police spokesman, said Wednesday.

Authorities book two on suspicion of DWI

Authorities arrested at least two people suspected of driving while intoxicated in East Baton Rouge Parish and booked them into Parish Prison between 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, booking records show.